'The View' looks back over the extraordinary history of this world-renowned festival which started when the local gramophone society was inspired to stage its own opera and its president, the legendary Dr Tom Walsh, lured opera singers from post-war Italy to perform in a neglected theatre on a back street of the seaside town.

The 57th festival will be launched on Thursday night in a new state of the art opera house with a repertory of three operas featuring singers from 14 countries performing to the an international audience of opera-lovers and critics for whom Wexford is one of the highlights of the year.